Paint distributor attachment for a paint brush



y 1963 J. w. CARPENTER PAINT DISTRIBUTOR ATTACHMENT FOR A PAINT BRUSH Fi led Dec. 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. JAMES W, CARPENTER ATTORNEYS July 30, 1963 J. w. CARPENTER 3,099,033

PAINT DISTRIBUTOR ATTACHMENT FOR A PAINT BRUSH Filed Dec. 28, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IO F A FIG. 4

INVENTOR. JAMES W. CARP NTER ATTORNEYS United States Patent James W. Carpenter, 406 Orlando Ave., Akron, Ohio Filed Dec. 28, 196i Ser. No. 7?,000 Claims. (Cl. 15551) This invention relates to paint brushes and similar implements and is directed particularly to manually controlled paint distributor attachments therefor.

Heretofore, attachments for paint brushes have generally been concealed among the bristles of a specially adapted paint brush such as shown in Patent No. 2,959,801. The disadvantages of such attachments are that they are diflicult to clean; they tend to interfere somewhat with the bending action of the bristles; and they are unduly expensive because they generally require a specially constructed brush. In those attachments which are adapted to be secured to the exterior of a conventional paint brush, such as shown in Patent -No. 1,716,980 or Patent No. 1,467,036, the problems besetting the painter are that it is awkward for him to hold the brush for painting, the brush is somewhat unwieldy; the attachment occasionally interferes with the use of the brush on surfaces to be painted which are not easily accessible even for a conventional brush alone; and the paint is not always ideally distributed.

The objects of the instant invention are to obviate the above problems in an attempt to achieve a paint distributor attachment which is economical to apply to existing conventional paint brushes and which may be made readily available on the open market, and to provide an attachment which is light in weight and does not add appreciably to the weight of the brush to which it is applied, or make the brush unwieldy.

Another object is to provide a device which is readily applied to and detached from conventional paint brushes, and is easily cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the necessity of dipping and wiping a brush in a paint bucket.

A still further object is to provide an attachment which will not interfere with the bending action of the bristles when the brush is in use.

Other objects inherent in the nature of the invention will become evident from the description which follows and it will become apparent that the attachment could be readily employed upon other implements suited to the use of this invention.

in the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the distributor attachment, as applied to a paint brush, the brush being shown in phantom lines, and illustrating the undersurfaces of the flat, flexible distributor member partly broken away and in section.

FIG. 2 is a front elevational view of the distributor attachment partly broken away and in section.

PEG. 3 is an enlarged view of the distributor attachment taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a partial view similar to FIG. 3 and illustrates the eifect of the flow of paint under pressure upon the space or pocket formed by the two flexible members.

FIG. 5 is a view of the distributor attachment as taken along line 55 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a modification illustrating the adjustable fasteners.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating the mode of operation of the invention.

Distributor Member In FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the paint distributor attachment 19, which is the subject of my invention, is shown secured about a paint brush 12 (shown 3,@-99,033 Patented July 30, 1963 "ice in dotted lines). The shape and general configuration of the distributor member 14 is flat, and somewhat triangular or, more particularly, trapezoidal in appearance. The distributor member is preferably flexible and may be fabricated from rubber, plastic or any other suitable material capable of withstanding the chemical action of paints, thinner, turpentines, paint cleaners and other solvents. It is adapted to lie flatly against the bristles of a paint brush and is provided with any predetermined number of distributor apertures 16. The number of apertures would obviously depend upon the size of the paint brush to be employed and the desired spread of the distribution of the paint.

Cooperating, Overlying Member The flat, flexible distributor member 14 is secured at the side edge margins 18 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of its outer surface opposite from the bristles to a cooperating, overlying member 20. The latter member may be fabricated from a material similar to that of the distributor member 14 and may also be of a similar but larger configuration than that of the distributor member. This overlying member 29 overlaps beyond the edges of the distributor member 14 to provide an ample peripheral margin 22 (see FIGS. 1 and 2), the purpose of which will be described later.

Encz'rcling Band The cooperating, overlying member 20 is preferably integral with an encircling band 24-, which may be endless and designed to slip over and fit tightly about the ferrule portion 26 or the widest part of a paint brush 12 in which the bristles are set. The endless band 24 is made generally from the same material as that of the cooperating, overlying member 20. The band may be designed to fit a specific size of paint brush or, in the alternative, it may be provided with adjustable fasteners 28, as seen in the modification 10 of my invention in FIG. 6 of the encircling band 24'. The fasteners 28 are designed to ermit the application of my invention to a variety of sizes of paint brush ferrule portions. Obviously, whether a double fastener, single fastener, or other suitable fastener means are employed would "be a matter of choice. However, the advantage of the specific fasteners illustrated in FIG. 6 will be described later.

Space or Pocket A space or pocket 30, as more readily illustrated in FIG. 4, is provided between the distributor member 14-and the cooperating, overlying member 20 between the points of securement of the outer edges of the distributor member. The space is normally flat, due to the fact that the two members forming it are designed to lie closely to each other. However, due to the flexibility of at least one of the members, if not both, the space 30 is adapted to enlarge sufiiciently under pressure to permit a flow of paint, as illustrated by the arrows 32 in FIG. 4, into the space and adherently along the interior surfaces 34, 34' of the space to the distributor apertures '16 and to the opening 33 for further communication to the lower adjacent area of the bristles 36 of the paint brush 12. The distributor apertures 16 and the space opening 33, as seen in FIG. 4, constitute egress means.

Paint is fed to the space 30 by conduit means 38 which comprises a long, flexible tube 40 of any predetermined length, connected at one end with a supply of paint under pressure; provided preferably at a predetermined intermediate point along its length with valve means 42, as shown in FIG. 7, for operation by the operator at will; and connected at the other end to the space 30 through a suitable connector or ingress means 44.

Connector or Ingress Means The connector or ingress means 44 may be a short section of right-angled tubing of brass, copper, aluminum, stress resistant plastic or any other suitable material of the nature permitting a permanent right angle to be formed therein; or, in the alternative, the connector means 44 may be a universally-directioned gooseneck (not shown). While the preferred embodiment is shown in the drawings, the invention is not to be understood as being limited thereto; it is shown as preferred inasmuch as it is an item more readily procured on the open market.

One end 46 of the connector means 44 preferably lies in a direction toward the handle 43 of the paint brush 12 and forms an acute angle with the longitudinal axis of the brush. This arrangement enables the flexible tube 40 to be deflected downwardly out of the way of the operators hand (note FIG. 7) at the point where the brush is customarily gripped when in use. However, because of the manner in which the connector means 44 is attached, it is possible for other angled relationships with respect to the longitudinal axis of the brush to be accommodated, if the operator deems it desirable and convenient to his mode of painting.

The opposite end of the connector means 44 is preferably double-flanged, as seen in FIGS. 3 and 4 at 50, in order to fit Within a boss 52. The boss may be made of resilient or non-resilient material, although preferably shown as resilient in order to permit the ready installa tion therein of the connector means 44. The boss is secured to or integral with the outer surface of the cooperating, overlying member 20, and in turn overlies an aperture 54 (see FIG. 4) in said overlying member to permit the communication of the opening of the connector means with the space 30. As may be observed from FIGS. 3 and 4, one of the flanges of the doubled-flanged end 50 fits inside of the boss 52 and is larger than the second flange which fits substantially on the outside of and in flush relationship with the outer surface of said boss. The purpose of the double flange is to provide more stability of the attachment of the connector means 44 to the boss 52 and prevent the connector means from inadvertently pulling loose from the boss.

Adjustable Fasteners As previously indicated, the encircling band 24 may be provided with adjustable fasteners 28, as seen in FIG. 6, so as to be readily adaptable to many difierent sizes of paint brushes. Preferably, the embodiment illustrated is designed to accommodate those sizes of brushes which are commonly and conventionally used by the average painter, and available on the open market. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a number of holes 54 have been provided and labeled for the convenience of the painter as 2, 2 /2, 3, 3 /2 and 4. When the buckles on the dual strap adjustable fasteners 28 are secured at one of the positions indicated by the number adjacent to the holes 54, the strap will accordingly fit tightly about the ferrule portion 26 or the widest portion of a comparable sized brush.

Valve Means The valve means '42, which is located at a point along the flexible tube 40 between the source of paint and the paint brush, is preferably a push button control valve; is adapted to be operated at will by the painter; and is generally conveniently accessible to the operators other band, as illustrated in FIG. 7. Obviously, if deemed more advantageous, the valve may be located so as to be controlled by the foot of the painter, or may be located on the encircling band about the paint brush. Also, the valve means is not limited to the type shown in FIG. 7.

Operation In the operation of the invention, the paint may be fed from a container under pressure, such as the tank illustrated in FIG. 1 of Patent No. 2,041,173, or by any other suitable pressure supplying means.

When the painter pushes the valve means 42 of applicants device lit, 1d, the paint is permitted to flow under predetermined pressure through the conduit means 38 and connector or ingress means 44 to the space 30 between the flat, flexible distributor member :14 and the cooperating, overlying member 20. The fact that the two members do lie so closely to each other permits the paint, through surface tension, to tend to adhere or cling to the interior surfaces 34, 34 of both members and thereby flow along and reach all of the distributor apertures 16 and space opening 33 for communicative trans fer to the bristles 36 of the paint brush 12. Since the two members 14 and 20 are adapted to lie closely to the bristles on the one side of the paint brush, the paint flows not only onto the bristles directly but also to the overlapping exterior inside margins 22 of the cooperating overlying member 20 so as to attain a greater distributing area. Another advantage of the closeness of the two members to the bristles of the brush is that they present a greater surface area which permits -a slight meniscus of paint possible within the area between the two members on the one hand and the bristles on the other hand, so that a further storage means is available for supply to the bristles 36 as the brush is used. This arrangement, therefore, enables the operator or painter to use the brush longer before it becomes necessary to operate the valve means 42 for more paint under pressure.

A further advantage of the close, overlying relationship of the two members is that until the paint is supplied under pressure, the flatness of the space 39 constitutes in effect a valve gate to prevent the paint remaining in the conduit means 38 between the brush and the valve means 42 from flowing out into the space 30 until the paint is urged out by pressure from the source upon actuation of the valve means. The encircling band 2.4 and its connector means 44 may be readily detached from the paint brush and the conduit means when the job is completed, and readily cleaned by any suitable method, whether by dipping in paint cleaner or otherwise. The conduit means may similarly be flushed and cleaned, including the cleaning of the valve means.

As may be observed from the various figures illustrating my invention, the encircling band 24 has been flared or cupped at its edge adjacent the bristles, as indicated at 56, so as to project outwardly away from the bristles.

The purpose of this flaring or cupping becomes readily apparent when the brush 12 is used on overhead surfaces. Any paint moving toward the ferrule portion of the brush along the sheaths of the respective exterior bristles will pass under the encircling band 24 and thereby permit the exterior surfaces of said band to be substantially free from undesired accumulations of paint. Obviously, it is more desirable, as in the manner illustrated in FIG. 7, to grasp a brush about the ferrule portion without getting paint on ones hands.

A further advantage of my flexible distributor attachment is that it may be moved longitudinally along the length of the ferrule portion of a brush, so as to accommodate various lengths of bristles. This advantage may be more particularly appreciated by painters when it be comes necessary to trim and thereby shorten the bristles as they wear in order to maintain an even edge at the end of the brushes; or merely to accommodate brushes purchased on the open market which have shorter bristles.

Inasmuch as the encircling band 24 is flexible, it does not interfere with the grasping of the brush when in use should it become necessary to move the band back along the ferrule portion until portions of the band no longer contact the ferrule portion.

Another advantage of this arrangement is that should the two cooperating flexible members 14 and 2t interfere with the paint operation by coming into contact with the surface being painted, and thus streak the paint, when the brush is stroked on the one side Where the members are, the band may be adjusted backwardly accordingly.

What is claimed is:

1. A paint distributor attachment for the ferrule portion of a paint brush, comprising, a flat, flexible member adapted to be disposed in face-to-face relationship with the bristles of said paint brush and having distributor apertures, a cooperating member overlying said flat flexible member and secured to the ide edges thereof and forming a pocket therewith, means attached to said cooperating member and adapted to be secured to said ferrule portion, and means to conduct paint to said pocket for distribution through said distributor apertures to the adjacent bristles of a paint brush secured to said cooperating member.

2. A paint distributor attachment for the ferrule portion of a paint brush, comprising, an encircling means secured about said ferrule portion, a first flexible member projecting downwardly from said encircling means adapted to overlie the bristles of said paint brush and having a peripheral margin, a second flexible member secured by its side edges beneath and within said peripheral margin of said first member, said second flexible member having at least one distributor aperture, said encircling means having a connector means secured thereto and adapted to conduct paint to the space formed between said second member and said first member for further conduction through said distributor aperture to the adjacent bristles of a paint brush secured in said encircling means.

3. A paint distributor attachment for the ferrule portion of a paint brush, comprising, an encircling band adapted to be secured about said ferrule portion, said encircling band having flat flexible members attached thereto forming a single pocket adapted to lie in face-to-face relationship to one side of the bristles of a paint brush when said band is secured to the ferrule portion thereof, said fiat pocket having paint ingress means at one end, an opening at the opposite end, and distribution apertures within the inner flexible member.

4. A paint distributor attachment for the ferrule portion of a paint brush, comprising, an encircling band adapted to be securedabout said ferrule portion, said encircling band having means attached thereto constituting a flexible flattened pocket with two closely spaced side members and which is adapted to lie closely and resilient-1y against the bristles of a paint brush, said flattened pocket having ingress and egress means, said flattened pocket adapted to enlarge and conduct a controlled flow of paint when under pressure and originating from a remo e source into said ingress means and said pocket and out of said egress means to the adjacent bristles of a paint brush, and further adapted to flatten and become a valve gate to prevent the flow of paint when not under pressure.

5. A paint distributor attachment for the ferrule por tion of a paint brush, comprising, an encircling band adapted to be secured about said ferrule portion, said encircling band having resilient means flexibly attached thereto constituting a flattened pocket which is adapted to lie closely and resiliently against the bristles of a paint brush, said flattened pocket having ingress and egress means, said egress means being located on the side of the pocket which is adapted to lie adjacent the brush bristles, said ingress and egress means being adapted to conduct a controlled flow of paint originating from a remote source into said ingress means and said pocket and out of said egress means for distribution to the adjacent bristles of a paint brush, said egress means being spaced from the outer most edges of said flattened pocket, and said flattened pocket further permitting the formation of a slight meniscus of paint between the egress means of said pocket and the said adjacent bristles.

References tilted in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,467,036 Helfrich Sept. 4, 1923 1,716,980 Sacks June 11, 1929 2,167,523 Reichenbach July 25, 1939 2,190,599 Jones Feb. 13, 1940 2,500,306 Brodsky Mar. 14, 1950 

5. A PAINT DISTRIBUTOR ATTACHMENT FOR THE FERRULE PORTION OF A PAINT BRUSH COMPRISING, AN ENCIRCLING BAND ADAPTED TO BE SECURED ABOUT SAID FERRULE PORTION, SAID ENCIRCLING BAND HAVING RESILIENT MEANS FLEXIBLY ATTACHED THERETO CONSTITUTING A FLATTENED POCKET WHICH IS ADAPTED TO LIE CLOSELY AND RESILIENT AGAINST THE BRISTLE OF A PAINT BRUSH, SAID FLATTENED POCKET HAVING INGRESS AND EGRESS MEANS, SAID EGRESS MEANS BEING LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF THE POCKET WHICH IS ADAPTED TO LIE ADJACENT THE BRUSH BRISTLES, SAID INGRESS AND EGRESS MEANS BEING ADAPTED TO CONDUCT A CONTROLLED FLOW OF PAINT ORIGINATING FROM A REMOTE SOURCE INTO SAID INGRESS MEANS AND SAID POCKET AND OUT OF SAID EGRESS MEANS FOR DISTRIBUTION TO THE ADJACENT BRISTLE OF A PAINT BRUSH, SAID EGRESS MEANS BEING SPACED FROM THE OUTER MOST EDGES OF SAID FLATTENED POCKET, AND SAID FLATTENED POCKET FURTHER PERMITTING THE FORMATION OF A SLIGHT MENISCUS OF PAINT BETWEEN THE EGRESS MEANS OF SAID POCKET AND THE SAID ADJACENT BRISTLE. 